Key Bridge LLC is pleased to announce that CEO Jesse Caulfield was recently awarded Patent No. 9,357,395 by the United States Patent Office.

The patent is for a system to protect non-informing transmitters from receiving interference. A “non-informing” transmitter is a radio system that must be empirically detected and cannot be otherwise learned from a database. Examples of non-informing transmissions generally include mobile, sensitive and secure applications.

“This patent makes important claims required to operate a Environmental Sensing Capability in the 3.5 GHz band. These will prove necessary to successfully protect any non-informing user from receiving interference. This invention protects United States Navy radar systems, a quintessential non-informing incumbent user, and in a manner that satisfies their exactly operational security requirements,” said Jesse Caulfield, Key Bridge CEO. He continued, “This is the first award in a series of recent filings. It is an exciting confirmation of our innovation and leadership in spectrum administration, sharing and dynamic access.”

The patent is generally related to spectrum sharing, wherein one wireless user opportunistically exploits fallow spectrum in the absence of a superior user. In certain frequency bands the sharing is coordinated by a centralized entity, and in some scenarios the superior user’s configuration is not known and must be empirically detected. The patent makes broad claims for implementing this last scenario with a geographically distributed collection of spectrum sensors and a geographic partitioning strategy, wherein opportunistic spectrum users are enabled or disabled in certain geographic regions based upon the detected presence or absence of a incumbent system.

Key Bridge recently submitted proposals to operate a Spectrum Access System (SAS) and Environmental Sensing Capability (ESC) in the 3,500 – 3,700 MHz band as part of the FCC’s recently developed Part 96 Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS).

“This patent sits at the heart of our ESC, which is neutral, transparent and secure by design,” said Mr. Caulfield. “I am excited to continue our collaboration with industry partners and the U.S. Government as we test, certify and ultimately bring this capability to market.”